PlayStation.Blog » Andrew Wanghttp://blog.us.playstation.com
The official PlayStation Blog for news and video updates on PS3, PS4, PSN, PS Vita, PSPTue, 03 Mar 2015 23:43:04 +0000en-UShourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=4.1How to Shmup: Mamorukun Curse, From the Makers of Ikarugahttp://blog.us.playstation.com/2013/06/25/how-to-shmup-mamorukun-curse-from-the-makers-of-ikaruga/
http://blog.us.playstation.com/2013/06/25/how-to-shmup-mamorukun-curse-from-the-makers-of-ikaruga/#commentsTue, 25 Jun 2013 13:00:16 +0000http://blog.us.playstation.com/?p=109233G.rev, the co-developers with Treasure Co. Ltd. on games such as Ikaruga and Gradius V. The rush I got when I first started to understand the ammo-absorbing mechanic in Ikaruga was nothing short of exhilarating, as I’m sure many of you experienced the same!]]>

Mamorukun Curse! was originally developed by G.rev, the co-developers with Treasure Co. Ltd. on games such as Ikaruga and Gradius V. The rush I got when I first started to understand the ammo-absorbing mechanic in Ikaruga was nothing short of exhilarating, as I’m sure many of you experienced the same!

A great shmup (shoot-em-up) will usually have one or two defining mechanics that makes it stand up way above the rest. For Mamorukun Curse!, that mechanic is the Curse Bullet. The Curse Bullet is the key to surviving the game’s toughest fights, but can also be the double-edged sword that causes the player’s downfall. Specifically, the “Curse Bullet” will make a Cursed zone that weakens enemies’ defenses but at the same time boosting their shooting pattern. When defeated, a Cursed enemy gives off the highest amount of candy, Mamorukun Curse!’s collectible items for score, than when defeated normally.

The Curse effect can also be applied onto yourself to power up your own shots to be even more powerful than shooting a “Cursed” enemy! This effect, of course, has a significant cooldown to the next “Curse Bullet” activation.

Another benefit: when you start charging a Curse Bullet, it clears all enemy bullets on the screen. This makes for a very interesting risk/reward system; if you shoot the Curse Bullet and it doesn’t hit any enemies that can take a few more shots, the cooldown for the “Curse Bullet” is reset. This lets you bypass a lot of incoming fire almost indefinitely. However, this will only get you so far, as many bosses and enemies are able to take quite a bit of punishment when their defenses aren’t weakened or when your shots aren’t powered up by the Curse effect. Learning the multi-faceted Curse Bullet effects and balancing all its uses is where shmup fans will find their “A-HA!” moments!

Shmup fans know how great games in this genre are hard to come across. Most are carbon copies of one another with minor differences, while a few great others take known mechanics within the genre and turns them on their heads!

To learn more about Mamorukun Curse!, please head over to our official site, follow us on Twitter, and like us on Facebook. Mamoru-kun and his friends will arrive on PSN July 16th, 2013!

I think RPG gamers need no introduction to the concept of customization. In Elminage Original, the customization options are… abundant, to say the least. There are 12 character races and 16 classes to choose from, so players will be able to tailor their party to suit their specific play styles.

Elminage Original is a dungeon-crawling RPG, and it doesn’t try to hide it. It doesn’t waste time hand-holding, and it lets you jump into the action very quickly if you so choose. Parties are formed in groups of six, so whether you think you’ll do better with Humans, Fairies, Werebeasts, or Magic Dolls, you can rest assured that there are plenty of combinations to try!

Customization is a big reason why I love RPG’s. When I start to play a new RPG, I tend to get caught up when I’m allowed an unlimited amount of time to grind and discover new tactics, and I spend way too many hours doing so. I’m sure that some of you reading this know exactly what I am talking about. In the case of Elminage Original, I even spent time customizing my entire party to make sure that they all had matching themed portraits. You can actually make your own party icons, and then upload them directly into the game!

Elminage Original brings players into the world of Halodra Ille, and tasks with finding six missing “God Rings” — made by the gods to create a barrier keeping demonic forces out of Halodra Ille. When a group of evil priestesses damaged the shield and attempted to destroy one of the rings, the remaining five scattered themselves to prevent further damage done to the shield and the world. However, the now-weakened shield is unable to repel demonic forces pouring into the world, resulting in a much more dangerous Halodra Ille…

After working on several titles with Starfish in the past, some people realized that UFO and Starfish have a good working relationship. I was asked if Elminage, the series made popular in Japan by Starfish, was ever going to come over to the US, and I am very happy to say that yes, it’s here.

We hope you enjoy Elminage Original. And when you decide to surface for air and take a break from dungeon crawling and monster slaying, navigate your custom party over to our official site, follow us on Twitter, and like us on Facebook. Should you choose to accept this quest, we can’t guarantee your safety from any random encounters that you may run into along the way. ;)